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Jon Bithrey

Features by Jon Bithrey

Europe's tallest skyscraper is opening today on the south bank of the Thames River. It's called the Shard -- as in a shard of glass -- and it's more than a thousand feet tall. But the real challenge wasn't just building it; they also need to find a way to fill it up.

As if Europe didn't have enough on its plate, it now faces a big drop in the price of one of its biggest exports, olive oil. Seventy percent of the world's olive oil supply comes from Spain, Greece and Italy.

The United Nations is reporting a 2.2 percent increase in its Food Price Index for February. This is the highest level recorded since the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) began monitoring prices in 1990.

Last week, Finnish cell phone maker Nokia announced a partnership with Microsoft on its new smart phone. But according to a report from Reuters, the alliance could cost most than 5,000 Finnish research and development jobs.

After Hosni Mubarak's resignation, Switzerland froze the deposed leader's assets in the country. Now, as experts prepare to assess Mubarak's purported hidden wealth, Switzerland and the U.K. are encouraging other countries to do the same.

They are the most British of British institutions -- but pub owners say they are being hit from two directions: the global economic slowdown means people are buying fewer drinks -- and the housing collapse has reduced property values.